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2020-08-31-accounts

GOD'S VINEYARD MINISTRIES

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED: 31 AUGUST 2020

CHARITY INCORPORATED ORGANISATION

CIO NO 1168046

Contents Page
Legal and Adminstrative Information 1
Report of the Trustees 2-5
Statement of Financial Activities 6
Balance Sheet 7
Notes forming part of the financial statements 8-12
The following page does not form part of the Statutory Accounts
Income and Expenditure Account 13

God's Vineyard Ministries

Reference and Administrative information

Charity Incorporated Organisation Name:

Charity Incorporated Organisation Number:

Principal Address

Trustees

Bankers

Accountants

God's Vineyard Ministries

1168046

292 Derby Road
Lenton
Nottingham
NG7 1QF
Dr O O Olubowale Chairman
Mr Kevin Price Secretary
Barrister Dennis Ekagha
Pastor Jerome Obode
Dr Jaf Abu
Barclays Bank Plc
2 Bishop Meadow Road
Loughborough
LE11 5RB
National Westminster Bank Plc
56 Churchill Square
Brighton
BN1 2ES
Royal Bank of Scotland
13 Derby Road
Nottingham
NG1 5AA
PVG Accounting Services
344 Moston Lane
Manchester
M40 9JS

Page 1

God's Vineyard Ministries Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 August 2020

The trustees present their annual report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2020. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities' effective 1 January 2015.

Structure, Governance and Management Governing

Document

God's Vineyard Ministries was originally a charitable organisation registered with the Charity Commission and governed by a Trust Deed dated 5th August 2001 and supplementary deed dated 14th May 2003 until 12th November, 2018 when it fully changed status to Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

Generally trustees are appointed by Board of Trustees. Trustees are appointed by invitation as at when required and depending on their expertise and requirements of the charity.

Induction and training of new trustees

We arrange appropriate training both internally and through other voluntary training providers. The trustees and all involved in running the charity, including volunteers are always encouraged to acquire the necessary skills required for the achievement of the charity objectives.

Additionally, new trustees are invited and encouraged to attend series of short training sessions to familiarise themselves with the charity and the context within which it operates.

Organisational structure

The trustees who served during the period and up to the date of the report are set out above. The day to day responsibility for the running of the charity lies with the Senior Pastor. The Senior Pastor is accountable to the Board of Trustees who are ultimately responsible for all strategic decisions of the charity.

The trustees meet regularly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. All trustees including the senior pastor give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. There are full time employees who are engaged in the administrative running of the Church office. The charity is also assisted by members who render voluntary services.

Risk Management

The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those related to operations and finances of the charity, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to major risks.

Objectives and Principal Activities

Our objectives and principal activity is to promote the advancement of the christian faith, the relief of poverty to general public and promotion and fulfilment of various charitable causes within the local community and such other parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the trustees think fit.

The Charity pursues these objectives by operating at the headquarter church in Nottingham and across our satellite churches.

Mission statement

To minister to the total man through:

Page 2

God's Vineyard Ministries Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 August 2020

Ensuring Our Work Delivers Our Aims

We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits theyhave brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. The review also helps us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidiance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

The Focus of Our Work

Our main objectives for the year continued to be the advancement of the Christian religion and the relieve of poverty and sickness. The policy of God's Vineyard Ministries is to pursue objectives in the following ways:

  1. Provision of Weekly Churc ces on Thursday and Sundays and to minister to physical,spiritual and material needs of the congregants.

  2. Provision of services to individuals, families and community at large. The service includes a wide range of spiritual and social care.

  3. Focusing on the material needs of certain members undergoing difficult financial situations.

  4. Working with other Christian agencies and Churches in Nottingham, London, Derby, Manchester, Birmingham and Loughborough to advance the preaching of the Gospel.

  5. Radical Youth outreaches in over 25 Universities in the United Kingdom at: Aston University(Birmingham)

Bristol University, Derby University,Leicester University,Loughborough University,Manchester Univeristy, University of East Anglia,-Norwich Nottingham Trent Univeristy, Nottingham University(Headquater), Bradford University, Coventry University, Sheffield University etc.

  1. Offering our services to anyone in need of spiritual help through free Christain counselling, prayers and deliverance solely on the basis of our ability to provide appropriate help and regardless of race, colour nationality, religion,gender,age, legal status and personal history.

Development and Achievements in the Year

The charity's events were properly managed, executed and reviewed for its impact on members. Our charity continues to grow in Sunday morning attendance, youth and children's ministry. We minister to the physical, mental and spiritual needs of our members and new comers in our midst. We have helped relief poverty and hardship amongst both regular and irregular congregants who are suffering from financial hardship due to unemployment and lack of financial resources.

The charity conducted crusades in the community to propagate the Christian tenets to non Christians. The charity has not undertaken any large capital projects although it continues to search for appropriate site to increase its charitable activities.

Financial Review

The charity was able to raise a total income of £547,676 during the year under review. While this is an increase of £37,582 when compared to 2019 figure, it is not an increase in donation but Covid-19 Grant received from the government for Job Retention Scheme and Small Business Support to Derby Church.

Principal Funding Sources

The principal funding sources for the charity are currently by way of donations and gifts from congregants through the offering basket passed during church services and though bank standing orders. We have exercised our right to reclaim the tax on the donations and gifts received from the congregants and this has proved a steady and growing source of additional income.

Investment Policy

The Charity retains a significant amount in the savings account. The objective of the investment policy is to invest in cash at banks where the capital is protected. The charity currently has a policy of keeping any surplus liquid funds in cash at banks where immediate access and security of funds is guaranteed.

Page 3

God's Vineyard Ministries Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 August 2020

Reserves Policy

It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted funds which are the free reserves of the charity at a level which equates to at least 3 months of unrestricted expenditure. This provides sufficient funds to cover management and administration and support costs and to respond to emergencies which may arise from time to time. The trustees have set this as a target, and are satisfied that the church is in a position to meet its financial obligations, fund its activities and continue to grow.

Plans for Future Periods

In the near future, the charity plans to expand its operations and will continue our drive towards providing more benefits to our community The Charity plans continuing the activities outlined above in forthcoming years subject to satisfactory funding arrangements such as Work Based Academy comprising - Youth Employment,Sector based Academy, Adult Education and Training for not in Education or Employment for not in Education or Employment/Vocational Training.

Page 4

God's Vineyard Ministries Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 August 2020

Trustees ' Responsibilities

Charity Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and applications of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees should follow best practice and the followings:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently

Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

Prepare the financial statements on going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statement comply with the Charities Act 1993. They are also responsible for the safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Statement of Disclosure of Information to the Accountants

In accordance with charity law, as trustees, we certify that:

So far as we are aware, there is no relevant information of which the charity's accountants are unaware; and as the trustees of the charity we have taken all steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the Charity's accountants are aware of that information'.

This report has been prepared,

By order of trustees:

Dr O O Olubowale Chairman

8th May, 2021

Page 5

God's Vineyard Ministries Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the God's Vineyard Ministries for the year ended 31 August 2020

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2020, which are set out on pages 7 to 13.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (The 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibilty to:

examine the accounts (under section 145(1) of the Charity Act 2011;

follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 (5)[b] of the Charity Act 2011; and

to state whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of Independent examiners statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning such matters.

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair" view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below:

Independent examiners statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act 2011; and

to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities, have not been met; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Mrs Dorcas Olowoyo FCA, FCCA,FFA/FIPA PVG Accounting Services & Consultancy Ltd 344 Moston Lane Manchester M40 9JS

8th May 2021

Page 6

God's Vineyard Ministries

Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 August 2020

Incoming resources
Incoming resources from generated funds:
Voluntary Income:
Donations -Tithes and Offering
Gift Aid Tax Reclaim
Building Fund
Youth Ministry
Magazine/Calender
Covenant Partner
Sundry Income
Job Retension Scheme Grant
Derby City Council Grant
Activities for generating funds:
Investment Income
Incoming resources from charitable activities:
Grants & Contracts
Total incoming resources Resources
expended
Cost of generating funds
Costs of generating voluntary income
Fundraising trading: cost of goods sold
Charity activities
Notes
2
3
Governance Costs
Total resources expended
Net Incoming resources before other
recognised gains
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of Funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
4		 358,716
-
358,716
363,588
83,943
-
83,943
61,422
20,052
-
20,052
41,972
30,756
-
30,756
40,424
130
-
130
776
2,213
-
2,213
2,211
848
-
848
821
41,018
-
41,018
-
10,000
-
10,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2020
2020
2020
2019
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
£
£
£
£
547,676
-
547,676
511,214
322,153
-
322,153
344,529
-
-
-
-
130,250
-
130,250
120,176
3,500
-
3,500
3,000
455,903
-
455,903
467,705
91,773
-
91,773
43,509
91,773
-
91,773
43,509
524,213
524,213
480,704
615,986
-
615,986
524,213

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses in the year. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

The notes on Pages 8 to 12 form part of these Accounts.

Page 7

God's Vineyard Ministries Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2020

Notes
8
Currents assets
9
Cash at bank and in hand
10
Total Assets less Current Liabilities
11
Net Assets
Unrestricted funds
General funds
12
Total funds
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
Debtors: amounts falling due
within one year
Creditors: amounts falling due
within one year
Creditors: amounts falling due
over one year		 935,372
26,218
102,766
(66,434)
997,922
(381,936)
615,986
615,986
615,986
2020
£		 956,152
35,226
30,777
2019
£
(107,816)
914,339
(390,126)
524,213
524,213
524,213

Approved by the Board of Trustees on the 8th May, 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

Dr O O Olubowale Chairman

The notes on pages 8 to 12 form part of these financial statements.

Page 8

God's Vineyard Ministries Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2020

1. Accounting Policies

The principal accounting policies are summarised below. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the year and in the preceding year.

(a) Basis of Accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the inclusion of fixed assets investments at market value, and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities effective 1 January 2015.

(b) Fund Accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furthermore of the general objectives of the charity. Unrestricted funds include a revaluation reserve representing the restatement of investment assets at market values.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Trustees for particular purposes.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.

(c ) Incoming Resources

All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

Voluntary income is received by way of grants, donations and gifts and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity , are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.

Donated services and facilities are included at the value to the charity where this can be quantified. The value of services provided by volunteers has not been included in these accounts.

Invested income is included when receivable.

Incoming resources from charitable trading activity are accounted for when earned.

Incoming resources from grants, where related to performance and specific deliverables, are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.

(d) Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates:

Costs of generating funds comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income and the costs of trading for fundraising purposes.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the accountancy fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.

All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the SoFA (Statement of Financial Activities) on a of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly, others are apportioned on an basis designed to reflect the use appropriate basis e.g. floor areas, per capita or estmated usage as set out in Note 4.

Page 11

God's Vineyard Ministries Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2020

e. Fixed Assets

Fixed assets (excluding investments and Land and Building) are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. The costs of minor additions or those costing below £1,000 are not capitalised. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write of the cost of each asset over its expected useful life, which in all cases is estimated at 4 years.

Depreciation of Building is calculated to write off its cost over 50 years on a straight line basis.

Investments held as fixed assets are revalued at mid market value at the balance sheet date and the gain or loss taken to the Statement of Financial Activities.

1. Donations

Staff Costs
Bank Charges
Administration
Professional Fees
Support Costs
Premises
Direct
Direct
Direct
Direct
Direct
Direct
Total Resources Expended
2. Costs of Generating Voluntary Income
Basis of Allocation
3. Charitable Activities
Ministry
Direct
4. Governance Cost
Professional Fees
Direct
Total Resources Expended
Donations -Tithes and Offering
Gift Aid Tax Reclaim
Building Fund
Youth Ministry
Magazine/Calender
Covenant Partner
Sundry Income
Job Retension Scheme Grant
Derby City Council Grant		 Church Work
£
142,874
-
-
-
-
-		 Church Work
£
142,874
-
-
-
-
-		 Unrestricted
Restricted
2020
2019
Fund
Fund
Total
Total
£
£
£
£
358,716
-
358,716
363,588
83,943
-
83,943
61,422
20,052
-
20,052
41,972
30,756
-
30,756
40,424
130
-
130
776
2,213
-
2,213
2,211
848
-
848
821
41,018
-
41,018
-

10,000
-
10,000
-

547,676
-
547,676
511,214
Support Cost
Governance
2020
2019
£
£
£
£
-
-
142,874
157,652
30,484
-
30,484
32,585
35,689
-
35,689
49,040
2,781
-
2,781
762
84,305
-
84,305
81,229
26,020
-
26,020
23,261
142,874 179279
-
322,153
344,529
130,250
 -
-
130,250
120,176
~~-~~
~~-~~
~~130,250~~
~~120,176~~
~~130,250~~
- -
3,500
3,500
3,000
~~-~~
~~3,500~~
~~3,500~~
~~3,000~~
~~-~~
273,124 179279
3,500
455,903
467,705

Page 10

God's Vineyard Ministries

Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2020

5. Net incoming resources for the year This is

5. Net incoming resources for the year This is
Depreciation
Audit & Accountancy Fees
stated after charging:		 28,403
3,500
31,903
2020
£		 31,145
3,000
2019
£
34,145

6. Trustee Remuneration & Related Pay Transactions

No member of the Board of Trustees, Chief Executive/Senior Pastor received any remuneration during the year.

7. Taxation

As a charity, God's Vineyard Ministries is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or s256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have risen in the Charity.

8. Tangible Fixed Assets

Net Book Value
At 31 August 2020
Accruals & Deferred Income
Other Creditors
Cost
At 1 September 2019
Additions in year
At 31 August 2020
Depreciation
At 1 September 2019
Charge for the year
At 31 August 2020
At 31 August 2019
9. Debtors-Amounts falling due more than one year
Sundry Debtors
10. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year		 Land &
Building
1,202,640		 Land &
Building
1,202,640		 Equipment
Motor
Furniture
2020
Vehicles
& Fittings
Total
£
£
9,518
229,203
1,441,361
-
7,624
-		 Equipment
Motor
Furniture
2020
Vehicles
& Fittings
Total
£
£
9,518
229,203
1,441,361
-
7,624
-
1,202,640 9,518
236,827
1,448,985
261,444
24,053		 8,701
215,065
485,210
816
3,535
28,403
285,497 9,517
218,600
513,613
917,143 1
18,228
935,372
941,196 818
14,138
956,152
2020
£
2020
£
3,500
62,934
26,218
26,218
66,434		 2019
£
35,226
2019
£
3,000
104,816

35,226
107,816

Page 11

God's Vineyard Ministries

Notes forming part of the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2020

11. Creditors: Amounts falling due after one year
Mortgage Creditors
Long Term Creditors
12. Analysis of Net Assets Between Funds
Net Assets at 31st August 2020
13. Movements in Funds
At 1 September
2019
£
Restricted Funds:Total
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds:
General Funds
Total Unrestricted Funds
Total Funds
Tangible Fixed Assets
Investments
Current Assets
Current Liabilities
Long Term Liabilities
-
-
524,213
~~524,213~~
524,213		 11. Creditors: Amounts falling due after one year
Mortgage Creditors
Long Term Creditors
12. Analysis of Net Assets Between Funds
Net Assets at 31st August 2020
13. Movements in Funds
At 1 September
2019
£
Restricted Funds:Total
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds:
General Funds
Total Unrestricted Funds
Total Funds
Tangible Fixed Assets
Investments
Current Assets
Current Liabilities
Long Term Liabilities
-
-
524,213
~~524,213~~
524,213		 381,936
381,936
General Designated RestrictedTotalFunds
Funds
£
£
£
935,372
-
-
-
-
-
128,984
(66,434)
-
-
(381,936)
2020
£		 390,126
2019
£
390,126

Funds
Funds
£
935,372
-
128,984
(66,434)
(381,936)
Incoming
Outgoing
Transfers
At 31August

Resources
Resources
2020
[Inc Gains]
£
£
£
£
615,986
-
-
615,986
-
-
-
-
- -
-
-
-
524,213 547,676

455,903
-
615,986
~~524,213~~ ~~547,676~~
~~455,903~~
~~-~~
~~615,986~~
524,213 547,676
455,903
-
615,986

Page 12

God's Vineyard Ministries

Income & Expenditure for the year ended 31 August 2020

Income
LESS OVERHEADS
Bank Charges
Bank Charges
Mortgage Interest
Administration
Printing, Postage and Stationery
Telephone and Internet Charges
Training
Subscription Fees
Hire of Premises
Ministry
Evangelism and Promotion
TV Ministry & Media Expenses
Youth Ministry
Events, Retreats & Conferences
Catering, Refreshment & Hospitality
Gift to Charities & Visiting Ministries
Welfare, Donations & Love Gifts
Books, Tapes & Videos
Professional Fees
Legal & other fees
Accountancy Fees
Support Costs
Hotel, Travel & Motor Expenses
Equipment Repairs & Renewals
Insurance
Depreciation
Sundry expenses
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year
Surplus brought forward
Surplus carried forward
Premises Costs
Light & Heating
Rent & Rates
Premises Repair & Maintenance
Fire & Security
Staff Costs
Salary
National Insurance
Employer Pension Contribution
Staff Costs - Lagos Church		 £
129,633
7,443
3,367
2,431		 £
130,250
26,020
142,874
30,484
35,689
6,282
84,305
(455,903)
91,773
524,213
615,986
2020
£
547,676
(455,903)
91,773
524,213
615,986
2020
£
547,676		 146,715
7,779
3,158
157,652
3,812
28,773
32,585
1,941
9,958
1,530
1,860
33,751
49,040
12,692
10,547
43,082
20,977
5,004
12,180
14,886
808
120,176
762
3,000
3,762
34,432
464
14,166
31,145
1,022

81,229
10,378
1,691
9,423
1,769
23,261
£
£		 (467,705)
43,509
480,704
524,213
2019
£
511,214
9,831
2,401
12,186
1,602
 10,378
1,691
9,423
1,769
2,123
28,361		 3,812
28,773
1,941
9,958
1,530
1,860
33,751
4,267
10,392
2,462
1,952
16,616
12,692
10,547
43,082
20,977
5,004
12,180
14,886
808
11,608
6,029
48,585
16,959
11,781
15,679
19,223
386
2,782
3,500		 762
3,000
34,432
464
14,166
31,145
1022
37,517
899
14,366
28,403
3,120
,

This page does not form part of the statutory accounts.

Page 13

tknéVINE l O'fsl ANNiifEk&4p*EDI ri9￿,￿21 REVIVAL FÉATURED ARIFLLE ÈY DR EZEKIEL AL4WAIE SENIQR PASTQR PARENTIN6 TD8 (DR) r.UNMI ALAWALE IkEEFUTAB LAWS LEADERSHIFI.- T£STif4¢ON I E5, -WEEKEND AWAYI. ALuMr•.

Dr. Ezekiel Alawale is a General Practitioner. He is the senior pastor of God’s Vineyard Ministries. He holds two fellowships in both the West African College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. He and his wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Funmi Alawale founded God’s Vineyard Ministries in March 2001, whilst he worked as a Registrar in Paediatric Surgery of Royal Alexander Hospital for sick children in Brighton U.K and his wife working as Clinical Specialist in Respiratory Physiotherapy with the University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham.

Dr. (Mrs.) Funmi Alawale is currently the resident pastor of God’s Vineyard Church Nottingham. She also oversees the Women of Excellence Ministry of GVM. The couple both believe that the gospel is the hope of humanity and this is reflected in the mission statement of the ministry – ‘empowering lives and building Society’. They both are persons of prayer, who have intense love for God and are passionate about sharing the gospel and impacting the next generation. Pastor Ezekiel oversees the Ministry alongside his wife and they are blessed with three grown up children, Tosin, Toyin and Tomi.

Dr. O. O. Olubowale MBChB, MSc, FWACS, FRCSI, FRCS (Gen Surg) is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon with the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, based at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Doncaster. He qualified as a Doctor in 1992 and was registered as a specialist with the GMC in December 2008. He is married to Yinka and they have two children, Mayowa and Joshua. Pastor Muyiwa, as he is fondly called, is very passionate about the gospel. He oversees the Music, Children and Teenage Ministries, and the Workers Directorate of GVM. He is a member of the Ordination Committee and he is also the Chairman of GVM Board of Trustees

Dr. Joseph O. Nipah trained and worked for several years as a Senior Research Scientist in Ghana, Ivory Coast and England. He is now in full time ministerial service. He is married to Evelyn and they are blessed with three children, Theo, Michelle and Kwame. Pastor Joe, as he is affectionately called, is a teacher by calling and he is the Head Pastor of the Loughborough church. He is the Director of Training, Research and Development of God’s Vineyard Ministries. He oversees the GVM School of Ministry, the Ordination Committee, the Prison Ministry, The Sunday School, House Fellowship and Discipleship Units of the Ministry

Pastor Owolabi Mebude Popularly known and called as P. Labi is the Youth Pastor of God’s Vineyard Ministries. He oversees the Radical Youth Fellowship (The Youth arm of the Ministry) currently active in 26 universities in the United Kingdom. He also pastors God’s Vineyard Church Birmingham. ‘Labi Mebude studied Bio-Medical Science at Nottingham Trent University and graduated in 2010 with BSc (Honours). ‘Labi was ordained as a Minister in God’s Vineyard Ministries on the 22nd day of March 2009 and took up an appointment as a full time Minister after his graduation from the University. In March 2017, he was appointed a Senior Pastor in the ministry. He is married to Ade-

SNIPPET FROM GVC’S 2021 KINGDOM LIFE CONFERENCE

Revival is God invading your soul the fire starts it sets you runwith His fire, revival sets the soul ning and active for God. Act2:3 ablaze for God. When we are in Nobody receives the fire of God the midst of revival you will zeal, and remains the same. Hebrews 1:7 you will find passion because revival ignites a divine flame in the soul of God’s people. WithRevival is the arrival of God, it out revival we see people who comes when God arrives in the are foot dragging conserving the midst of His people, God is the things of God. revival is the spirit giver of life, so when God shows of God at work in the human up life emits as we have consoul. Revival is a fresh baptism cluded that revival is bringing back to life. God is the author of fire in the human soul, once

of life, when He shows up life is released everything that were dead responds to His presence. Revival is God in operation, and that happens only when man has bowed. True heaven sent revival always conquered man before God. True revival puts man aside, people are humble before God, people get saved with little effort, healed with little effort, people experience God with daily devotion.

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GVCC LAGOS TODAY

By David Jaiyeola (Pastor, GVCC Lagos)

to a very conducive place of worship with unlimited access for our use.

Technology. Though we have a few of them in the choir already. By the grace of God, we intend taking the land for Jesus and breaking new ground by extending the church into our neighbourhood. By the help of the Holy Spirit we intend making our place of worship a place of impact; where the hopeless receive hope, the sorrowful become joyful, lives are transformed, and souls are won into the Kingdom. We also intend by the help of God to make the Church a citadel of power and glory; where champions in various lives’ endeavours are raised and trained to take the city of Lagos for the Lord Jesus Christ.

When I joined God’s Vineyard Christian Centre (GVCC) Lagos in May 2017, I met only 2 regular members. This was possibly due to the frequent changing of pastors, but by the grace of God, we now have about 60 members. By the inspiration of God, we have introduced special programs such as ‘HELP FROM ABOVE’ Praise and Prophetic Prayer program which comes up every 2nd Saturday of the month coupled with other youth friendly programs. We also ensure our messages are tailored to meeting the needs of the people.

  1. Provision of funds to pay for the lease of the property, while we trust Him for our permanent place of worship.

  2. Within the space of 3 years, there have been 7 children christenings and dedications.

  3. Testimonies of promotion, breakthroughs at work, visa breakthrough, job opportunities, divine healings, car dedications, house warming etc, abound in our midst. All to the glory of God.

The Lord has been faithful to us Going forward, we want to in various ways: intensify our efforts in reaching out to students within the 1. The Church has relocated vicinity of the Church, especially students of Yabatech College of

GVCC ABUJA: 2013 TILL DATE

By Noel Ezefosie (Pastor, GVCC Abuja)

Following the meeting with Senior Pastor in Lagos in February 2013 when he shared the vision of establishing God’s Vineyard Ministries (GVM) in Nigeria, Pastors Chijioke Elekwachi and Noel Ezefosie began holding informal meetings with identified alumni of GVC and Radical Youth in Abuja with a view to laying appropriate foundation and working out modalities for moving the vision forward.

In October, 2018 the Church relocated from Oxford Hotel to Sandralia Hotel. Today by God’s grace, GVCC Abuja has regular membership and maintains regular activities including house fellowship, prayers and evangelism. We have functional units/departments and leaders.

At the turn of 2014, regular In October, 2018 the Church Sunday Church service was relocated from Oxford Hotel to launched and GVCC became a Sandralia Hotel. Today by God’s Church in Abuja. GVCC Abuja grace, GVCC Abuja has regular Inaugural Sunday service was membership and maintains held on Easter Sunday morning. regular activities including It started off well, with people house fellowship, prayers and coming to Church, but not like evangelism. We have functional when we were meeting during units/departments and leaders. the monthly fellowships. New people were coming but many The Church is growing in older members were leaving, this numerical strength and families was for a number of reasons; have been added to the Church. including some members God also blessed us with a relocating to the UK, Canada, Nissan Bus which has been very some got jobs and relocated instrumental in conveying people outside Abuja, while some left to to Church. At the last Church join their mother churches. service held before COVID-19 lockdown, the hall was packed The greatest challenge for GVCC full and we are trusting God for Abuja at the initial stage was a bigger hall in the same facility. the remoteness of the venue. Our vision is to move from that Due to the nature of the city, it hall to our own property in no distant time. We thank God for was difficult and expensive for people who do not have a car to what He is doing in us and in get to Church. So, a lot of money Nigeria.

GVM work in Abuja started with monthly fellowship meetings scheduled for 4th Sunday of every month at 3pm at Conference Room of Oxford Hotels Zone 4, FCT. We also had several LET YOUR LIFE COUNT SEMINAR with the Senior Pastor in attendance. Topics such as ‘Maximising your life’; ‘Making a difference’; ‘Living for purpose’; Diligence etc were explored. The seminars attracted a lot of young people from Abuja.

The greatest challenge for GVCC Abuja at the initial stage was the remoteness of the venue. Due to the nature of the city, it was difficult and expensive for people who do not have a car to get to Church. So, a lot of money was spent on transport fares to help members get to Church.

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But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge 2 Peter 1:5 NKJV.

DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN CHARACTER

By Pastor Olumuyiwa Olubowale

CHRISTIAN CHARACTER

Cambridge dictionary meaning of character is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Character is who we really are not who we act to be and not who people think we are!

Christian Character is living out God’s nature that is engraved within. It is living out God’s perfection that is within. Christian character must be cultivated, developed and taught and added to our faith.

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge”- 2 Peter 1:5 NKJV.

We add it by cultivation, development and teaching it. It is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that are the agent of cultivation of our behaviour. The Holy Spirit builds in us distinctive qualities that resemble the core values of God and therefore conviction to behave like him.

The word Virtue in that verse is translated to mean moral excellence, christian energy and

character.

Character is like a garden that must be cultivated by removing the weeds constantly and nurturing the flowers so that they can flourish. 2 Peter 1:5-9 MSG., Matthew 5:48 AMP.

WHY IS CHARACTER IMPORTANT?

Character helps you maintain the identity of Christ and keep your values in focus at all times. Christian character makes you stand out.

all things are helpful (expedient,

profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. (1 Corinthians 10:23 AMP).

Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty. (Acts 6:3 AMP).

Character is what shapes how we behave and keeps us from compromise.

Christian Character is what compromise. makes our life a reflection of God, his righteousness and spirLet your character or moral itual life. All things are legitimate disposition be free from love of [permissible–and we are free to money [including greed, avarice, do anything we please], but not lust, and craving for earthly pos-

sessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]. (Hebrews 13:5 AMP).

WHAT CHARACTER IS NOT:

Character is not a substitute for talent and gifting. We need to

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cultivate character so that our gifts will shine and continue to shine and become relevant. Our gifting and talent is charisma but Christian character is different from charisma and gifting. Charisma is a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others. Charisma will attract people, but Character will keep them. Charisma will open doors but character will keep the doors opened. Character will help us to build solid and long lasting relationships.

Christian character is what

validates our charisma and gives probity and integrity to what we show and profess. Character is not image building because that is putting up a show!

Charisma must be combined

with Christian character for us to live as true disciples of Christ The Lord. Jesus had both charisma and character and that is why he is our example. He learnt and cultivated his character by the things that he suffered.

“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”- Hebrews 5:8 KJV.

HOW DO WE DEVELOP CHRISTIAN CHARACTER?

  1. Develop your personal Integrity by the help of the Holy Spirit.

INTEGRITY:

Cambridge dictionary defines integrity as

“the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change.”

“Then the [other two] commissioners and the satraps began trying to find a reason to bring a complaint against Daniel concerning the [administration of the] kingdom; but they could find no reason for an accusation or evidence

of corruption, because he was faithful [a man of high moral character and personal integrity], and no negligence or corruption [of any kind] was found in him.” Daniel 6:4 AMP.

“Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.” Acts 6:3 AMP.

“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”” Job 2:3 NKJV.

FIVE ELEMENTS OF INTEGRITY:

relate with, not a complex personality, not complicated, approachable and easy to get along with, not easily offended. What you are inside is what we see on the outside. No dichotomy of behaviour and persons.

You need to develop a habitual walk with the Holy Spirit, so that the Holy Spirit can work on your character until it becomes the character of Christ. The more you live your life under the leading of the Holy Spirit, the more you embrace and imbibe his character. Galatians 5:16-17 AMPC.

2. DEVELOP DILIGENCE, DISCIPLINE AND EXCELLENCE: (CENTRE OF CHARACTER)

‘’Work is doing it, diligence is doing it well and discipline is doing it well everyday’’ -Dave Ramsay.

A) DILIGENCE:

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Proverbs 22:29 KJV.

Diligence is careful and persistent work or effort, working hard, being persistent, not becoming weary, enthusiastic, to keep going and not looking back. Steady application of effort. It is an essential building block of good character.

We must learn to be diligent at work, at home, in prayer, in the Word, in fasting, in ministry, church, family etc. Be full of passion in whatever you do. Serve with zeal and passion.

“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” Romans 12:11 KJV.

“For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” Psalms 69:9 KJV.

“never lagging behind in diligence; aglow in the Spirit, enthusiastically serving the Lord;” Romans 12:11 AMP.

For you to fully fulfil any assignment allocated, you must be passionate about it. Passion is what will let you stop at nothing to get the work done. Without passion, your best will be to do as you are told; you consider your assignment as somebody else’s business.

B) DISCIPLINE:

Discipline is defined as training that makes people more willing to obey or more able to control themselves. We need to train ourselves! A lot of Christians are trying to control others but not themselves!

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” I Corinthians 9:27 NKJV.

“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 AMP.

“And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” Romans 12:2 AMP.

• Daniel was dedicated to strong spiritual discipline which was evident to the chief of the Eunuchs and the King and the other two governors and 120 satraps etc. Daniel had a good understanding of the scriptures, the season and times.

Self control is a fruit of the spirit.

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nication out of your mouth.” Colossians 3:8 KJV.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 NLT.

C) EXCELLENCE:

Excellence is the quality of being outstanding and extremely good at what you do.

Deal decisively with any character flaw that you have with the help of the Holy Spirit and become accountable to a mentor. Don’t hide it from your spouse and your Pastor. Mortify them. Actively and deliberately deal with issues related to:

So that you may surely learn to • Inappropriate and unhealthy sense what is vital, and apassociations and relationprove and prize what is excellent ships. and of real value [recognizing • Do not be equally yoked with the highest and the best, and unbelievers. (2 Corinthians distinguishing the moral dif6:14). ferences], and that you may be • Love of money. untainted and pure and unerr• Telling lies. ing and blameless [so that with • Negative generational/inherhearts sincere and certain and ited traits and tendencies unsullied, you may approach] e.g. polygamy, etc the day of Christ [not stumbling • (Hebrews 13:5 AMP.) nor causing others to stumble]. • (Philippians 1:10 AMP).

II) SECULAR OR NON SPIRITUAL:

3. DEVELOP INNER STRENGTH AND COURAGE INNER STRENGTH COMES FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.

“that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,” Ephesians 3:16 NKJV.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,” Jude 1:20 NKJV.

“If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.” Proverbs 24:10 NLT.

Our strength is tested in times of crisis. How we behave is a result

of how much strength and resilience we have developed before then. This is important especially in the times of challenges. This is the real test of character. How you behave and act when you are faced with challenges and difficulties that are more than you.

Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability and strength to act out your conviction when faced with fear or challenge. Daniel in chapter 6 had the courage to be consistent and act out his conviction in spite of the King’s decree to worship the image. (Joshua 1:6-7 NKJV). Learn not to give up but always see things through and be a finisher and not a quitter.

4. LEARN TO TREAT PEOPLE WELL.

Treat all persons well and with humility including your close relatives, spouses, children, coworkers, people above and under you and people you do not know. How you treat people is a reflection of how good your character is. Be humble and don’t think of yourself more highly than others.

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 NKJV

Humility in the inner self is true humility as opposed to humility of the outward which is usually rehearsed and inconsistent. Live and accept life as a privilege.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:5-7 NKJV.

steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].” Luke 9:23 AMPC.

Self denial– Deny yourself, your flesh and kill the appetites and cravings by self discipline.

Stop feeding your flesh, but with prayer, study of God’s Word, fasting, counselling, put your flesh under- But I keep my body under and bring it into subjection lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway 1 Cor 9:27.

SET BOUNDARIES AND RESPECT THEM.

Make yourself accountable to someone more spiritual. Every believer should have someone in their life who can tell them what they are not doing well and they will listen and change their ways.

ALWAYS WALK IN LOVE!

1 Corinthians 11:1 AMPC.

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2 NKJV.

• Every Christian should have spiritual mentors who are able to help change your behaviour in a positive way and censor your important life decisions and should be able to call you to order. You must make yourself accountable to your spiritual mentors.

7. DEVELOPING A CONTRITE HEART AND A BROKEN SPIRIT.

The heart is the centre of our soul.

Be nice to people. The fruit of the spirit must be evident in how we relate with people including how we speak.

5. MAKE YOUR LIFE AND AC-

6. SELF DENIAL AND CRUCIFYING THE FLESH.

Mentors help to provide guidance, encourage, support, give examples, set goals, offer prayers and correction e.g. Paul.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalms 51:17 NKJV).

“And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave

“PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).”

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HOW TO START AND RUN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IN CHALLENGING TIMES

By Pastor Olumuyiwa Olubowale

Starting a business is by no means an easy adventure, and if you have started a business, you will notice that more effort and tenacity is required to maintain and grow it. During the current pandemic, a lot of businesses have seen opportunities to grow as they were able to identify solutions to problems. Zoom, a popular tech firm we all know, has been around for a long time but it was during this pandemic that they were able to seize the moment and their share value rose up significantly to an all-time high. They have stayed up since the outbreak of the pandemic.

So how can anyone set up a successful business during the pandemic? I will share my story, my observations and the Christian principles that I have learnt so far.

I also had chickens and rabbits that I reared. I derived great joy from this, not because I was paid for doing it, but, for the delight of seeing my family and neighbours eat out of it. Why am I sharing this with you? Over the years, I have seen that God knew us from inside out; in Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”. This made me realise that God has placed something special in all of us, right from the time we were created.

My interests as a child were the signs of the gift God has placed in me. As I grew up over the years, I lost touch with my farming and building skills. I have forgotten about all those things I loved to do and create as a little child, because they were just like child’s play to me.

Whenever we are unable to

provide a satisfactory service to any of our customers, I usually feel sad and that feeling is so bad that I have to establish a method to prevent any future occurrence where our customers are not pleased. It was not long ago that I realised what I used to enjoy as a child were the things I am now enjoying as I run my business.

I have learnt that God has put in all of us something special, just like I am discovering God’s passion in my own life. For those of you whom God has given the heart to run a business and to offer credible solutions to others, it is necessary to know that God has already deposited what you need in you, it is called passion. This is where you need to start from.

MY OBSERVATION AND CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES:

MY STORY:

when I was about 10 years of age, I developed the love for making things. I used to make light powered by batteries, sometimes I will make a living room out of matchstick boxes. What I really loved most out of all the interests I had as a child was farming. I grew up in a rural set up in Nigeria and we had some spare land around us.

I remember growing vegetables, yam, cocoyam roots, maize etc

success means many things to different people. I have had to get to grip with the fact that God’s definition of success is not what we term as success. Here are a few things I have learnt about businesses that are successful

I went on to study Mechanical different people. I have had to engineering at university, I get to grip with the fact that thought I was going to become a design engineer; manufacturing God’s definition of success is not what we term as success. new technologies. Despite my Here are a few things I have A-levels, undergraduate and master’s degree qualification in learnt about businesses that are successful engineering, I still found myself gravitating towards running my 1. MONEY IS NOT SUCCESS business, and guess what I have after many years of running my reconnected with those passions business I have learnt that most that I had as a child.

after many years of running my business I have learnt that most companies who are making large profits year on year do so on the back of multiple loans. This

I love it when my business can take away other people’s stress.

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means that what you see on the outside is not always the reality. Do not base your decision to start a business on how you think others are succeeding.

2. DON’T BE A RICH FOOL

the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21, said to himself in verse 19– “Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself”. The only reason many people want to set up a business is to be able to amass wealth so that we can retire in our 30s and go on holiday anytime we want for as long as we wish. I am sorry for people who think like this because even billionaires cannot afford this kind of lifestyle, as there are a lot of issues that they have to deal with daily. The bigger the business, the tighter the management required to keep the business operation effective.

God sees most business owners as rich fools because a lot of businesses plan so well to protect their wealth but they fail to realise that only God is in control of the overall affairs of the world. This pandemic has wiped away trillions of pounds from many businesses, but yet I still see God showing me what I need to do to grow our business and how to be relevant with our target market more than ever.

3. GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

Like all other areas of our lives, God cares about your business. He cares about the type of business you should start and He has a very high standard to which any business should be run. I know many Christian friends who will openly deny alcohol, but they will happily sell it in their shops, some may even sell cigarettes because that is what their customers are asking for. After learning that God is interested in my business, I am learning to rely on Him as

the sole decision maker in the business. If God hates anything, I must hate it too. If there is ever any conflict between what I want and what God wants, I usually cry for help because God knows what is best for me and He has never been wrong. I use this method to check my motive and to make sure I am still allowing God to run my business.

4. GOD SEES THROUGH YOUR BUSINESS

If you have already gotten a business or are about to start one, please go through the above points to make sure that you have your business conducive for God. In Daniel 2:47-

“The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.””

I can testify to this, as I personally have experienced God’s interventions each time I am in trouble and I go to God for understanding.

There has been times when I failed to go to God, I tried to solve the issues myself but I thank God because He helped me in the end to learn fundamental lessons (part of which I have shared above) about how to run a business to last the test of time and how to survive in a climate where others have failed. If God is the revealer of secrets and you rely on Him for these precious secrets that can make your business grow and to stand out, then He will not disappoint you.

5. FINALLY, THERE IS NO SIN-

GLE MAGIC PRESCRIPTION FOR ALL BUSINESSES,

you need the Holy Spirit to guide you through each phase of running your business. He is the spirit of God and He can always be on ground with you as you run your business. I have to say that when you choose to rely on

the Holy Spirit, you must do so all the way or not at all. With the spirit of God living in you, He can reveal to you the true purpose of your business. Do not for once think a business is a business so you can find any avenue that seems profitable to establish yourself there. If God will grant your business success, it must be because you have aligned your business to match God’s purpose in your business sector.

I hope you are inspired to start your own business? To summarise my points, God has a set purpose for your life and you can start to discover this purpose by turning to God who knows you inside out. You need to first devout your life to Him and let God know that you want Him to make out of you whatever he has planned for your life the moment He created you.

Handing such authority to God sets a good foundation to building any business that God will quicken your heart to build. Don’t forget, it is God who will build the business through His holy spirit in you, you are only His representative.

COVID-19 AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CHURCH IN 2020

GOD’S VINEYARD MINISTRIES BEFORE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

In March, the annual conference of God’s Vineyard Ministries, known as the Kingdom Life Conference (KLC 2020) was held at the headquarters in GVC Nottingham from 12th-15th. This was the last major programme in the Ministry before COVID-19 lockdown, with full participation and attendance as members of God’s Vineyard Churches across the UK gathered in Nottingham for the conference.

because of Coronavirus outbreak. This meant that churches were closed for worship services, conferences, programmes and any other events for the entire duration of the lockdown.

Year 2020 in God’s Vineyard Ministries was our year of ‘Increase’, inspired from Psalm 71:21- “Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.”

Ministry before COVID-19 lockThe term “Virtual Church” bedown, with full participation and came prominent and popular attendance as members of God’s during the lockdown as services Vineyard Churches across the UK were broadcasted and streamed gathered in Nottingham for the live online via Facebook, Youtube conference. and Mixlr with mainly the Senior Pastor, alternating pastors and The following week, immediselected multimedia personnel ately after KLC 2020, the United coming to church to conduct serKingdom went into a national vices and broadcasting it online. lockdown for the next 4 months

The year commenced with 30 Days Prayer & Fasting, which was observed by God’s Vineyard Churches in the UK and Nigeria. This was followed by the Youth Weekend Away in Cefn Lea, Wales with over 400 youths and 20 pastors in attendance at the retreat.

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GOD’S VINEYARD MINISTRIES DURING NATIONAL LOCKDOWN DUE TO COVID19 OUTBREAK

during the lockdown. With special occasions such as Naming ceremonies, Wedding ceremonies officiated by the Church during the lockdown.

The Senior Pastor, Dr Ezekiel Alawale, however did emphasise that though the country was under lockdown, ‘Ministry and ministering must continue’. To this effect, regular and weekly Church activities such as House Fellowship meetings, Prayer meetings, Pastors meetings, Leaders meetings, Units and Departmentals meetings, Discipleship classes, and pastoral care continued via online platforms such as Zoom and telephone conferencing during the lockdown.

During the the first national (UK) lockdown from Mid-March to Mid-July 2020, God’s Vineyard Churches across the UK and Nigeria were shut and did not hold live services in line with government regulations in the UK, Nigeria and across the world.

Though the lockdown was meant to be a period of depressing stagnation and setback in the life of the Church, the nation, and the entire world, God Almighty did turn it around as a time of lifting and moving forward for the God’s Vineyard Ministries and all of her members. To this, we celebrate the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and give Him all the glory, praise, honour and thanks

Sunday services and mid-week ‘Hour of Refreshing’ were therefore broadcast from the headquarter Church in Nottingham, with members of God’s Vineyard Church across the UK, Nigeria and friends all over the world connecting online via Facebook, Youtube and Mixlr.

The engagement of virtual media for hosting and facilitating Church services, programs, events and meetings did enable God’s Vineyard Ministries to continue to function effectively

21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

John C Maxwell (A Summary)

John Maxwell is one of the world’s foremost authorities on leadership. John has trained millions of people and written over 50 books. Like many other authorities on leadership, John would agree that leadership is about setting direction, aligning people, motivating and inspiring people.

each law is as follows:

However, in his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” published in 2007, John breaks down leadership even further.

1- THE LAW OF THE LID.

It states that there is a lid on or limit to our potential that is determined by our leadership ability. As we grow our abilities as a leader, we automatically grow our abilities to impact the world. If our leadership abilities

Each of the 21 laws has its own chapter in which John shares his personal stories and biographical sketches of some of history’s greatest leaders. A quick look at

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their skills distinguishes leaders from their followers. The learning process is ongoing and a result of self-discipline and perseverance. To quote Maxwell,

stagnate, so does our ability to make a bigger impact. The more we work on the lid that limits us as a leader, the more effective we become.

2- THE LAW OF INFLUENCE.

“If I need to be inspired to take steps forward, then I’ll attend an event. If I need to improve, then I’ll engage in a process and stick with it.”

Influence is the power or capacity to produce a desired result. Maxwell refers to this law many times throughout the book. The true measure of leadership is influence- nothing more, nothing less. Influence is what helps fulfill the goals and dreams of the leader and without influence, a leader lacks the ammunition to reach the destination.

Maxwell asks the questions

“What is one little thing you can do more of that would have a positive impact on your life or your business? And is there something you can stop doing that will have the same kind of impact?”

Both are important as we strive to get a little better every day.

3- THE LAW OF PROCESS.

Leaders are learners and their capacity to develop and improve

4- THE LAW OF NAVIGATION.

Anyone can steer a ship but it takes a leader to chart the course, carefully, seeing where they want to go and charting the most effective course to get there. This holds true for individual leaders and for leadership teams. To quote Maxwell

“If the leader can’t navigate the people through rough waters, he is liable to sink the ship.”

5- THE LAW OF ADDITION.

The law of addition focuses on advancing others, not ourselves. Leadership is an act of service to others and the true leaders focus on creating value for others. The best place to serve is where we can add the most value to others. Leaders add value to others by valuing others and relating to what others value. True leaders ask “How can I serve?” Because they are focused on service, it’s not so much about “What’s in it for me.”

6- THE LAW OF SOLID GROUND.

The solid ground is solid character, living with integrity, authenticity and discipline. Trust is the foundation of leadership. It is earned or it isn’t. Character is the source of trust. We build our character by being scrupulously honest, even when it hurts. To be authentic, we must be ourselves with everyone, not pretending to be something that we aren’t. Discipline comes from doing what needs to be done whether we like it or not.

7- THE LAW OF RESPECT.

We must be strong and worthy of respect if we want people to respect us, to have a high opinion of us and be willing to follow our lead, because people naturally follow people with leadership skills and traits stronger than they possess. People follow others who possess leadership traits they respect and admire and consider more worthy of respect than

themselves.

8- THE LAW OF INTUITION.

Great leaders have intuition, the sense that they should head in a certain direction. Intuition is the power to discern the true nature of a person or situation. Like any other leadership quality, intuition can be developed. Leadership intuition is really that inner thought or perception to make a particular change in an organization, or to know what to do at a particularly challenging time. To trust oneself, one’s insights, one’s instincts.

9- THE LAW OF MAGNETISM.

Maxwell describes leaders as magnets. They are constantly attracting followers and often attracting new leaders to themselves. It is because of this that organizations experience growth. However, we attract people like ourselves, so if we want to attract great people, we must ourselves be great.

10- THE LAW OF CONNECTION.

Connection is to bring or to join one thing to another, to hit it off, to be on the same wavelength. Establishing a connection with another person is vital in leadership. A CEO who fails to emotionally connect with his people is on the road to failure because we must connect with others before we can expect them to follow. As Maxwell says “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.”

11- THE LAW OF THE INNER CIRCLE.

It states that those closest to us will determine our potential as a leader. They should be people who have our best interest at heart, who want to see us succeed, and hold us accountable. Our strength as leaders comes partially from what we know. It also depends on the skills of our inner circle and how closely connected our inner circle is to each other. An example of the law of the inner

circle comes to us from Mother Teresa, who said

lead by example. Therefore, we must embody our ideals to create a picture of what will inspire people to follow our lead.

“You can do what I can’t do. I can do what you can’t do. Together we can do great things.”

14- THE LAW OF BUY-IN.

Getting support for our ideas, vision and strategy requires others to buy-in to us first before deciding to support our ideas, vision and strategy. In the words of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf,

12- THE LAW OF EMPOWERMENT.

So many of us are limited by our unwillingness to give up something either because of wanting to hoard knowledge and skills to ensure job security, resistance to change, or lack of self-worth or low self-esteem. In order to empower others, we must first trust ourselves and then trust others to follow through managing processes and performing the tasks.

“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy.”

The law of the buy-in causes people to take one of these actions: to look for another leader when they do not buyin to the leader or the leader’s vision; to look for another leader when they do not buy-in to the

13- THE LAW OF THE PICTURE.

People do not do what they hear, they do what they see. Leaders

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leader, but do buy-in to the vision; to seek to change the vision when they buy-in to the leader, but not the vision; or to support the leader and the vision when they buy-in to both.

15- THE LAW OF VICTORY.

Leaders find a way for the team to win. True leaders have a passion for victory. Winston Churchill is one of the finest examples of someone who inspired victory. His most famous quotes are

”Never, never, never give up!”, “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory!”

A victory that comes from finding a way for the team to win may be having no Plan B or going from Plan A all the way through the alphabet to bring our vision to life and do what we’re here to do.

16- THE LAW OF BIG MO.

If we’ve got all the passion, tools and people we need to win, we’re in trouble if we can’t get things going. Big Mo is “Momentum” and momentum is a close friend of effective leaders. When we have no momentum, even the smallest tasks seem insurmountable and small problems look like huge obstacles. On the other hand when we have momentum on our side, the future looks bright, obstacles appear small and troubles seem unimportant. Creating momentum requires someone who has a vision to assemble a good team and motivate others. Momentum starts with energy and enthusiasm to create and celebrate small wins to show consistent progress which is a powerful motivator.

17- The Law of Priorities. Many people are so busy that they can’t get anything important done. They are unfocused and this can only lead to failure.

Focusing on what is most important is so much more effective than being busy. Becoming laser focused on a clear vision leads to more success, faster, even when what has to be done is difficult or even painful. We’ve all heard of the 80/20 rule. It says that 80% of our activities will lead to 20% of our results and that 20% of our activities lead to 80% of our results. The key is to identify the 20% of our activities that bring us the highest return on our investment and get rid of or delegate the rest of the activities. Once we understand our focus, we can prioritize our to-do list and make things happen faster.

18- THE LAW OF SACRIFICE.

Leaders trade freedom for responsibility. In any organization of more than one person, the larger the organization gets and higher we go, the more we need to be willing to give up. A leader must give up to go up. Maxwell says

“It is easier to go from failure to success than it is to go from excuses to success.”

Without sacrifice, there is no improvement. The question then is,

“Am I making excuses or am I willing to make the sacrifices to get me from where I am to where I want to be?”

19- THE LAW OF TIMING.

When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go. Not all moments are created equal, effective leaders know when to seize the moment, when to move forward and when to back off, what to improve and how radical those improvements should be. Higher level leaders often see opportunities and risks before others see them. They see more clearly and completely than others see, and see farther than others see. This allows them to start planning sooner, see more

options, and prioritize for what lies ahead both in the short and long term.

20- THE LAW OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH.

A strong leader recognizes that developing leaders around him/ her will exponentially create a larger group of leaders. The Law of Explosive Growth states that leaders who attract followers grow by addition, whereas leaders who develop leaders grow by multiplication. Maxwell calls this “Leader’s Math”.

21- THE LAW OF LEGACY.

Leaders who leave a lasting legacy leave an indelible imprint on our hearts because they chose to make an impact on the world. Maxwell contends that leaders who practice the law of legacy are rare. But the ones who do practice the law of legacy leave a legacy of succession in their organizations, family, friends and the world as a whole. How does this happen? These individuals lead with tomorrow as well as today in mind; they create a leadership culture within their organizations; they pay a price to assure lasting success; they value team leadership above individual leadership; and they realize that the leader’s lasting value can only be judged based on how well the organization is doing after the leader is gone. In other words, those leaders who leave a solid legacy choose a life of significance, not just a life of success.

Kingdom Life Conference 2020

grow and increase. What makes a small seed to suddenly become the greatest is because it went through a process of growth or increase.

INCREASE- A KINGDOM CONCEPT BY REV. FRIDAY BEKEE (FRIDAY 13/03/2020)

THE SCOPE OF INCREASE

TEXT: PSALM 71:21

Increase means to make or become progressively greater. Maybe in number, amount, strength, measure, and intensity. It also means to multiply by propagation or by production of young ones.

In that passage above, when Jesus was teaching the parable of the Kingdom, He said “the Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed.” Though this seed is the smallest and the least of all seeds, but when it is grown (i.e. when it increases), the Bible says it became the greatest.

1-) Productivity

God expects us to increase in our productivity, He intends for our labour and efforts to be productive and to yield in abundance. God expects us to be fruitful, not to labour in vain, God will cause your labour to yield for you. (See Genesis 1:28)

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”- Matthew 13:31-32:

2-) Potentials

The Kingdom of God always begins in a little form, but it is never expected to remain small forever. Anytime God wants to do a thing, He may start small, but it does not stay small. God has put in us the potential to

“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”- Leviticus 26:4

When the earth drinks of the

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rain from heaven, its potential is released. There is an increase that belongs to the earth, and it is waiting for rain from heaven, for it to manifest. There is something in you that is waiting for the rain from heaven to manifest. Until you yield your increase, the people around you may not receive the blessings out of your life. You carry increase on the inside, though it may not be seen now, but it is there, it is the potential that God has put in you.

3-) Greatness or Honour

This is another sphere of increase. “Thou shalt increase my greatness, ...”- Psalm 71:21 When you became a Christian, a seed of greatness was planted into your spirit. When you receive Jesus, the genetic code of greatness is birthed in you. There is greatness in you that is not yet seen, but in this season of increase, your greatness shall increase. Though Jesus had a prophetic destiny of greatness (see Luke 1:32), it could not be released until the Holy Spirit came upon Him (see Luke 3:22). It is the Spirit of God in you that will release the greatness in you.

Again, the Kingdom is like a mustard seed, at the beginning before this increase comes, it could be despised, dishonored, and relegated. But when it is grown and the forces of increase begins to work on it, then the glory, honour and the beauty begins to manifest.

4-) Wealth and Riches

“..... thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”- Job 1:10 The increase of his house refers to his riches and wealth. Which means, when God chooses to increase you, your greatness will increase, your honour will increase, your wealth increase, your productivity will increase. It is all about the Kingdom; the reason God will increase you is

because of His Kingdom. This is why God causes His rain from Heaven to come upon you.

When the children of Israel left Egypt, God loaded them with gold and silver, because He knew that the Israelites would require this for carrying out His projects, such as the building of the tabernacle and the initiation of the priesthood.

5-) Joy

“You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy;”- Isaiah 9:3

One area of satanic contention and manipulation in the lives of God’s people is their joy. Some of the challenges we have in life is because satan wants to drain away our joy, and scripture says the joy of the Lord is our strength. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness may be a product of your circumstance, but joy is the fruit of the spirit. In our world today, there is so much depression and suicide, because satan is tampering with the joy of the people. The Bible says weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. May the Lord increase your joy in Jesus name. Amen.

6-) Faith

“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!””- Luke 17:5 (NIV)

Faith grows, faith can rise, faith can increase. When your faith grows, those things that intimated you before, you will begin to intimidate them; those things that you run away from, will start to run away from you; the things that you were afraid of before, will soon become afraid of you. In this season of increase, I pray to God; that your faith shall increase in Jesus name-Amen!

7-) Wisdom

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and

stature, and in favour with God and man.”- Luke 2:52

Jesus increased in wisdom, Solomon increased in wisdom, God expects us to increase in wisdom also. I pray that insight, understanding, prudence, revelation, knowledge, discernment shall increase in you in the name of Jesus. You can’t build a house without wisdom, so, for us to build the Kingdom of God, we need the wisdom of God.

8-) Favour

Esther had favour with the King. A kingdom is established by favour; to grow a kingdom, we need favour. If God’s Kingdom will be established and will prosper in our hands, we need a progressive increase of God’s favour. Favour open people’s hearts to you, it opens doors for you. If you don’t have favour with people, your gifting would not be able to influence them, because they won’t listen to you.

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”- Acts 2:47 One of the things that brought daily increase to the church was favour. The community fell in favour with the church and people were added to the Church.

9-) Authority Authority refers to government, it also refers to power, it refers to rulership.

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, …..”- Isaiah 9:7

Authority increases, power increases. God will increase the measure of His power and authority over your life. An officer in the army has a level of authority, and when he is promoted, his level of authority increases with each promotion.

-10-) Numerical Increase

-11-) Increase in the Word

‘OUR TESTIMONIES ABOUNDS

“The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.”- Psalm 115:14

“And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly;”- Acts 6:7

This scripture is not talking about your size, it is not talking about your weight, it is talking about your number. I pray that God will increase you, He will increase the number of your converts. That’s God’s intention and design for the Church; that your converts will bring converts. God never intended for anyone of us to be saved alone. When God saved Noah, Lot, Rahab and Cornelius, he saved them and members of their families.

May the Word of God increase in your life, may it increase in our Church, may it increase in our community. I pray there will be increase in revelation, increase in insight, increase in understanding, there will be a revolution of the Word of God. May the knowledge of the Lord increase, may it cover the earth as the waters. God intends to increase His Word in you, so that your life may overflow and bless others.

MUCH MORE’

WHAT THE MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY

So we must understand the Kingdom Concept of Increase, that, when God increases you it is because of the Kingdom. Everything we acquire in this world will pass away, but there are things that will not pass away: the souls of men saved are eternal. May God give you souls in the name of Jesus.

“So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”- Acts 19:20

As God increases the measure of your authority and the measure of the government upon your shoulders, you will discover that the measure of your productivity in the Kingdom increases.

Increase prevails; there is a limit to the resistance against it. Whatever situation you find yourself, you shall prevail, you shall be on top in the name of Jesus Christ.

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DEALING WITH THE DEVIL’S SCHEME BY APOSTLE ALFRED TB WILLIAMS (SATURDAY 14/10/2020)

“For though we live in the world, we

TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:10

are enforceable in the dominion of darkness, but never vice-versa. Therefore, we are governed by the laws of the Kingdom and never by the rules of the dominion of darkness.

do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”- 2 Corinthians 10:3 (NIV)

Everyone who is born again has been rescued from the dominion of darkness, and have been elevated to the Kingdom of God. The laws of the Kingdom of God

Strongholds here is talking about your mindset as it’s what the devil attacks. Here are some fundamental principles that can sustain your destiny and bring you to fulfilment of God’s purpose for your life:

  1. Dedication: You need to be dedicated to your decision with God. Dedication is to do things wholeheartedly with that thing in mind. You must not allow the enemy to hinder it.

  2. Devotion: You must be devoted to God above all things in your life. Devotion is loyalty, faithfulness, steadfastness. Whatever you devote yourself to is what you serve.

  3. Diligence: Diligence is to be conscientious. Think deeply before you utter a word, so you don’t destroy what God is doing for you.

“The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.”- Isaiah 14:24

God has a great purpose for you, and the plans of God for you is according to his purpose.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW REGARDING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU:

  1. God’s knowledge of you predates your conception:

  2. God’s purpose for you predates your birth

  3. God appointed you before you were born

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”- Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

God has a plan for you which was formulated before you were born.

KEY POINTS FROM JEREMIAH 29:11:

  1. Only God knows the plans He has for you.“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” -- the things God has prepared for those who love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)

  2. God’s plan for you is to prosper you.

  3. God’s plans are not to harm you: we may suffer during the course of fulfilling our destiny. It is not to harm you, but a course of learning.

  4. God’s plan is to give you hope and a future.

In God’s hand lies the power to fulfil His plans for your life.

Don’t allow circumstances contrary to your thoughts to unbalance you. You must have confidence in God’s plan. The plan of God is not to harm you. Though you may suffer pain, it will not harm you. You must be wiser than the devil to fulfil destiny

WHAT IS PURPOSE

The vision and belief that underpins the values you hope to create for yourself. It can also be defined as the reason or motive behind your action. Purpose leads you to destiny. If you live a life without purpose, you can’t fulfil your destiny.

PURPOSE IS THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR EXISTENCE:

  1. Purpose guides your decisions and strategy towards your greater values.

  2. Purpose aligns your team towards a common goal.

  3. Purpose gives rise to courage to effect positive changes: purpose drives innovation.

For God to bless what you’re doing, your purpose must be in line with God’s.

edge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”- 1 chronicles 28:9 (NIV)

Purpose drives innovation, and innovation means transformation or departure from the norm. Innovation gives birth to creativity, and creativity succeeds through collaboration.

A plan without purpose comes to nothing, and strategy without purpose shall be thwarted. When you leave God out of the equation of your life, you will end up a failure in life.

A man of purpose can never fail. A life without a goal is an aimless life. A life without a purpose is an unfulfilled life. A life without daily self-examination is a frustrated life.

EVERYDAY ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

  1. Why am I alive today?

  2. What is my purpose for living?

  3. What are the tasks before me today?

  4. Does my task today align with my ultimate goal in life?

  5. Are your goals aligned with God’s purpose for you?

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GVM SCHOOL OF MINISTRY

INTRODUCTION:

The academic year of the GVMSOM runs from May to February each year. However, as a result of the modular nature of the course, students can join the programme at any stage within the year and work through the modules.

GVM–SOM was commissioned in April 2011 as part of the continuing quest to fulfil the divine mandate of God’s Vineyard ministries; ‘Empowering Lives and Building Society’. The ultimate objective of the school is to ensure that ‘the man of God is perfected, thoroughly furnished unto every good work’

COST:

The only cost students are eligible to pay is a £200 to cater for stationery and administrative costs. Payment can be made by instalments. The course is subsidised by God’s Vineyard Ministries.

The school is under the leadership of the Senior Pastor, Dr Ezekiel Alawale, who is the President of the Institution and an implementing body; including Dr Joseph Nipah, the Director of Training and Dr Femi Fenojo, the Principal of the institution. Following the setting up of the board in 2011 to design a Diploma awarding curriculum to equip God’s children for the work of the Kingdom, the school has since graduated over 120 students, who are serving in various capacities in the Kingdom of our Lord. The school currently boasts of a number of high quality academic staff and research board.

We wish to use this opportunity to encourage everyone, who desires to play a leading role in the Kingdom and influence our society with Godly virtues to contact the leadership of the school to take advantage of this great opportunity that God has blessed us with.

COURSE CONTENT:

CONTACT DETAILS:

Dr Joseph Nipah- GVM Director of Training & Development: 07734957502, onipah@yahoo.com

COURSE STRUCTURE:

Mr Olawale Ogunmola- GVM Administrator: 07734957501, admin@godsvineyardministries. org

The course structure is a modular system involving the following arrangement:

DATE AND TIME:

WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CONFERENCE 2020.

The 2020 edition of God’s

nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms;”

with many other participants connecting via the virtual broadcast platforms such as YouTube, Facebook & MixLr.

Vineyard Ministries annual Women of Excellence Conference was held during the COVID-19 outbreak across nations of the world. Thankfully, it was held (from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th October 2020), when the UK Government had lifted the 1st National lockdown and churches were permitted to reopen in line with social distancing, health and safety guidelines.

Speakers at the conference were: The Host: Pastor (Dr) Mrs Funmi Alawale, and guest speakers: Pastor (Mrs) Dolapo Adelakun (Victory International Church, Ibadan, Nigeria), and Pastor (Mrs) Atinuke Adesanya (Grace to Grace

Pastor (Dr) Mrs Funmi Alawale and Pastor (Mrs) Atinuke Adesanya delivered their messages in person during the conference, whilst Pastor (Mrs) Dolapo Adelakun delivered her messages virtually from Nigeria.

International Church, UK).

The conference which was both actual and virtual had participants in attendance at God’s Vineyard Church, Nottingham observing government guidelines on social distancing and safety measures,

It was indeed an impactful, spiritually equipping and life transforming encounter for all participants at the conference. All glory to the name of the Lord!

The theme of the conference was ‘The Warring Women’, inspired from Jeremiah 51:20- “You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the

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COUPLES CORNER

THE YEAR 2020: COUPLES FORUM-

BY MINISTER BISI ADEYIGA

On February 14, 2020 while we were having the first couples’ event of the year (The Couples Ball), little did we know that a pandemic was going to ravage what was the normal way of life for many months. We had good fun and had a wonderful

some of the effects of marital

3 course meal with over 100 people in attendance. But more importantly, the Senior Pastor, Dr Ezekiel Alawale gave a mind-blowing talk that buttresses the importance of harmony within the institution of marriage. He pointed out

disharmony, leading to teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, domestic violence, extramarital affairs, etc. The main point of the talk explored the bedrock of marital harmony:

· An understanding that God is the bedrock of marital Harmony

Consequently, governments of countries around the world were saddled with the responsibility of curbing the spread of the deadly virus and the primary strategy adopted was to restrict people’s movement via national lockdowns. The implication was that people had to spend more time at home with their families and spouses. While this helped foster family bonds, a large number of couples were struggling under the weight of living with their partners 24 hours a day, 7days a week.

divorce, the rate of calls to domestic violence hotlines increased in April and as a church we could not afford to fold our arms and watch our homes and marriages become victims of the pandemic. Thus, God’s Vineyard Church Couples Ministry decided to host two online programs to help couples deal with issues that may likely affect their union especially during the lockdown. The 1st was a general meeting for all couples, regardless of how long they have been married. It was titled, “COVID-19: keeping your marriage safe and sane”. The 2nd was a program mainly for people married under 5 years. If you didn’t attend the meetings or you were simply not aware of them, don’t beat yourself up; I’m going to highlight the important bits of the meetings in this article. I believe the wisdom nuggets

· There are principles that fosters marital Harmony which are stated below:

He emphasised the principles that fosters marital harmony, such as Mutual Respect, Willingness to Learn, subjection to Christ, letting go of the past and letting God lead the couple into the future. It was a great night; couples were rocking it out on the dance floor and beautiful pictures were taken at the couples photo booth afterwards.

For example, in Wuhan where the first incident of the virus occurred, The Global Times, a Chinese tabloid reported that the rate of divorce doubled after the lockdown was lifted. The same trend was beginning to evolve in the US.

Then came March 2020; the month that heralds the events that will make the year 2020 go down in history as the year that changed many businesses, organizations, lives and even marriages. Lives were lost to the virus and many were seriously ill.

While the UK had not recorded a massive rate in

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for divorce over many years as shown in the image below:

shared in those meetings will prove to be useful for couples, not only during the lockdown, but also for the rest of our marriages.

It was obvious that the major issue we needed to deal with to avoid being part of the statistics is behavioural issues especially during the lockdown. Hence we looked at the following issues:

At the First Program, the staggering statistics about marriages in the UK was one that leaves little to imagination if we do not fight for our marriages by putting the required work in.

a. .Communication: Sounds like a cliché but couples must communicate effectively to deal with conflicts in marriage.

· According to the Telegraph in June 2020, the number of calls to domestic violence helpline went up by 80%. · According to the national statistics, behavioural issues has been the major reason

there is the need to communicate how we feel regularly to each other.

II. Communicate with the intent to resolve issues: We should be able to communicate with the intent to listen and find ways to resolve our differences.

b. Structure: Have a proper structure that takes off pressure from both parties.

II. Work/life Balance: As many now work from home, avoid blurring the line between working hours and family time. Take turns with who stays with the kids or do house chores.

c. Time: Schedule time for

what’s important; this is not a holiday.

The Second Program for Second Program for for ‘Marriages under 5 Years’ focused on “Building a Marriage that last a Lifetime”. We explored important keys to a lasting marriage. It is important for young couples to build a solid foundation at the early years of their marriage. Communication, relationship with God, romance and finance are some of the most crucial fundamentals young couples need to build a solid foundation around.

Most couples start their union Having discussed that, it was on the premise that they have noted that there are a few the following characteristics pitfalls young couples must in their relationship. It is watch out for and adequately therefore important for young discuss these issues to avoid couples to nurture those problems. characteristic:

Overall, the engagement and outcome of the programs were really good. So when next you are invited to one of these events, don’t hesitate to attend. The marriage that works needs to be invested in.

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PRECIOUS AND AJI THOMAS

SHORT STORY LINE: HOW WE MET

We met at a mutual friend’s fundraising event. On a flight from Italy, Aji randomly met a long-time friend of Precious, who later invited him to an occasion organized to support family and friends. Both of us were completely unaware that our common friend actually prayed to God that we would connect at the event.

HOW I KNEW SHE WAS THE ONE

After the event, I picked up the conversation with her a month later – yeah slow, right?! Anyway, we started getting to know each other. I had my resolve with God not to make a decision until He directed me. As I prayed, and we spoke over a vast range of topics, I realized her hunger for God and the overwhelming peace of God in my heart.

WHAT I DID WHEN HE SPOKE TO ME

Aji made his intentions clear right from the first date. This

gave me some reassurance that he had good motives and he wasn’t interested in casual dating but a longterm relationship. As we started having regular communication, I prayed and asked God to guide me and also to dissolve the relationship if it wasn’t His will.

WHAT ROLE DID PARENTS AND MENTORS PLAY?

We both came to the table with clear ideas of what to look for in a godly spouse. Parents, mentors, pastors, and Christian friends had enormous impact in the way we approached the relationship and made our choices.

THE BUILD-UP TO MARRIAGE

Following our introduction, we took enough time to prepare for the marriage. When all was said and done, we had undertaken counselling with three different ministries (though, this wasn’t intentional), read and discussed various books on marriage, prayed and fasted together, spoken with mentors and models, attended Christian singles retreat, and discussed as many life topics as we could think of.

ANY CHALLENGES?

We could say COVID-19, although we eventually realized it was a blessing in disguise for us – in all things we are learning to place our complete trust in God. Another challenge was around where to build a home as we initially lived far from each other and both wanted a change. Words and

pages wouldn’t be enough to testify of God’s goodness and how we both ended up in Nottingham and especially at GVC.

HOW THE MARRIAGE COUNSELLING WENT - WAS IT HELPFUL IN ANY WAY?

Marriage counselling helped in shaping our understanding of God’s intent for marriage as well as providing principles and practical examples to help us build a thriving relationship. We strongly recommend counselling before any marriage in our ‘modern’ world.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT IN THESE EARLY DAYS OF OUR MARRIAGE?

Communication is key! We are each other’s best friend and being on the same wave-length just makes it an absolute joy to be married. The first year is special in its way and we tackle issues immediately as they arise, making sure we build a solid and Godly foundation for the future.

ADVICE TO SOON TO BE MAR-

RIED

There is safety in counsel, bible-based counsel. We also realized that preparation time was important, while taking time to know and really understand each other. Above all, you need God, so be sure you are in-tune and listening.

took about a week. I was very honest with Ebun from the start about where I saw the relationship going and who I thought she was to me.

WHAT ROLE DID PARENTS OR MENTORS PLAY?

Ebun: Both our mentors and parents played big roles in the process for us by praying along and giving Godly advice. My mentor was able to advise me on questions to ask and behaviours to observe when we went on our first date and my parents were able to give further confirmation regarding my choice in Ope. God had spoken to them 18 months previously about the process of marriage and they both knew things about Ope’s character before they’d even met him which they just confirmed in person. Both sets of parents were incredibly supportive of our decisions and the quick progression of our relationship - we can’t thank them enough!

OPE AND EBUN ADEJUYIGBE

HOW DID YOU MEET?

and Rebekah as a picture of knew things about Ope’s how I would meet my wife. character before they’d I equally had a perception even met him which they about the time period in just confirmed in person. which I would meet her. Both sets of parents were When it was time, things incredibly supportive of happened in exactly the time our decisions and the period and in the manner quick progression of our in which I had perceived. relationship - we can’t thank Additionally, I had a very them enough! specific description of what the person would look like. I Ope: My mentor was also remember describing them very supportive in providing to my Aunt a week before I Godly counsel about met Ebun and was chastised managing the relationship for greatly narrowing my and the boundaries we options but in the end God should maintain during the was simply at work in me engagement period. to will and to do his good pleasure.

Ebun: We actually met at God’s Vineyard Church. Ope was here visiting during his last Sunday in Nottingham and after the church service he walked up to me to introduce himself. After a brief conversation, he asked for my number, I was rather reluctant but couldn’t think of a good reason to say no at the time so I gave it to him. He later told me I had ‘distracted him throughout the service’. He’d spotted me backing up during the praise and worship and then had gone to find out who I was.

IN THE BUILD UP TO THE MARRIAGE, WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES?

HOW DID YOU KNOW EBUN WAS THE ONE?

WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU DO AS

THE HUSBAND AND WHAT DID SHE DO WHEN YOU SPOKE TO HER?

Both: In truth, compared to many couples we don’t think we had many challenges as the process was very quick for us: less than a year from when we first met to when we got married. The main ‘challenge’ we faced was to reassure people we knew what we were doing. The decision making was very easy

Ope: When I saw Ebun, I knew she was the one immediately, something in me resonated with her even though I’d never met her. I was advised by my mentor earlier in the year to pray about my choice of wife and during the process of prayer, I felt led to the story of Isaac

Ope: I silenced my fears and went to speak to her! I knew I didn’t have much to lose if she said no to me at that point. After I’d spoken to her, she told me she would let me know when she was ready for a call at a later date - this

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for us as we had both felt we heard God on the matter and other godly people confirmed it. Having two sets of godly parents made things much easier- they were able to understand the unique aspects

of our relationship and they also had peace of mind that God was involved and so they were incredibly supportive.

TELL US ABOUT THE MARRIAGE COUNSELLING- WAS IT HELPFUL IN ANY WAY?

Both: The marriage counselling was delivered in a group format with 5 other couples. It was a mixture of face to face and online sessions on Skype due to the pandemic. We really enjoyed the discussions that came from the topics in the curriculum. They were helpful to cover topics of conversation and go though the engagement period in a purposeful manner, ensuring all the important conversations were had before the marriage. Being part of the group also meant we were able to benefit from other perspectives and learn from other experiences as well as our own.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT IN THIS SHORT TIME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MARRIED?

TESTIMONIES 2020

6. Testimony by MR Derrick & MRS Tope Osaze: Total Restoration and Open doors Thanking God for restoring completely in our family what has been lost. Our son, who God had promised to us, Malachi, was born this year without complications on Derrick’s birthday. Also for safe delivery of our nephew. Opened doors and new beginnings in various area of our lives as a family. We are trusting God that next year will continue to be a year of testimonies for us

1. Testimony by Oluwatoyin 3. Testimony by Opeyemi and Kazeem: Marriage Restored Ebunoluwa : Thanking God for Thanking God for His goodness His faithfulness and Divine Settlement

Kazeem: Marriage Restored Thanking God for His goodness and mercy towards me and my family. A year ago during 2018 Kingdom Life Conference, I cried to my father in heaven to sort me out in the area of my marital life. Knowing fully that He hates divorce. I was stuck, ageing and loneliness was eating me up. In His mercy and love toward me, HE came through for me by repositioning me back to where I was rejected 15 years ago. I am here this morning to appreciate the King of Kings, who has done this thing for me. This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in my sight.

Thanking God for Our Marriage, new jobs, new house and establishment. Joshua 21:45 “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; everyone was fulfilled.” We got Gods words before these things come and they came out just as God promised them.

  1. Testimony by Nicki & Papa Owusu: Divine Protection We thank God for His divine protection over the Owusu family and for keeping us safe from January to December and for guidance over our extended family.

  2. Testimony by Bro Dele FAGBUARO: Deliverance from untimely death and divine health

  3. Testimony by MR Samuel & MRS. Charmaine Adebare : Supernatural Increase in the midst of the pandemic Thanking God for providing MR. Samuel with a new job. Able to get legally married and doing our blessing. For buying our first home together. For keeping our family members through the year.

I want to thank God for spearing my life and delivering me from a curse of untimely death in my family. At the prayer conference God gave a word of prophesy through His servant , Pastor Esther Aluko and I have come back to return all praise to God for confirming His word and for sparing my life. To Him be all the praise.

5. Testimony by Mrs. Tye Achimuye:: Divine Favour and settlement

I am thanking God for removing stamp duty. I asked for a Holy Spirit dsicount as we bought a house, God exceeded my expectation and changed a national law for me

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GVC - 20TH ANNIVERSARY

GVC - 20TH ANNIVERSARY